Abstract: PT3.00001 : Magnetic Flux Compression in Plasmas*

Author:

Magnetic flux compression (MFC) as a method for producing ultra-high pulsed
magnetic fields had been originated in the 1950s by Sakharov et al. at
Arzamas in the USSR (now VNIIEF, Russia) and by Fowler et al. at Los Alamos
in the US. The highest magnetic field produced by explosively driven MFC
generator, 28 MG, was reported by Boyko et al. of VNIIEF. The idea of using
MFC to increase the magnetic field in a magnetically confined plasma to 3-10
MG, relaxing the strict requirements on the plasma density and Lawson time,
gave rise to the research area known as MTF in the US and MAGO in Russia. To
make a difference in ICF, a magnetic field of $\sim $100 MG should be
generated via MFC by a plasma liner as a part of the capsule compression
scenario on a laser or pulsed power facility. This approach was first
suggested in mid-1980s by Liberman and Velikovich in the USSR and Felber in
the US. It has not been obvious from the start that it could work at all,
given that so many mechanisms exist for anomalously fast penetration of
magnetic field through plasma. And yet, many experiments stimulated by this
proposal since 1986, mostly using pulsed-power drivers, demonstrated
reasonably good flux compression up to $\sim $42 MG, although diagnostics of
magnetic fields of such magnitude in HED plasmas is still problematic. The
new interest of MFC in plasmas emerged with the advancement of new drivers,
diagnostic methods and simulation tools. Experiments on MFC in a deuterium
plasma filling a cylindrical plastic liner imploded by OMEGA laser beam led
by Knauer, Betti et al. at LLE produced peak fields of 36 MG. The novel
MagLIF approach to low-cost, high-efficiency ICF pursued by Herrmann, Slutz,
Vesey et al. at Sandia involves pulsed-power-driven MFC to a peak field of
$\sim $130 MG in a DT plasma. A review of the progress, current status and
future prospects of MFC in plasmas is presented.

*Work supported by DOE/NNSA.

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2012.DPP.PT3.1